Caffeinated Thoughts

In an L.A. Times article, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), who starts this week as the first female to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee, was asked her thoughts on Leon Panetta being tapped as the Director of Central Intelligence.  She said she might oppose it.

“I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director,” Feinstein said. “My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.”

Generally I would never agree with Senator Feinstein, her political positions and my own are light years apart.  Here I agree.  In this position, experience matters.  Why in the world would we place a political hack at the helm of the C.I.A. instead of an intelligence professional?

I know, I know, political hacks have occupied the helm before, but at least they were political hacks with experience in the intelligence field.  Some may argue that the DCI is mainly just a political operative who is basically just an administrator - the real important appointments are who is in the Deputy Director of Intelligence and Deputy Director of Operations, etc.  Remember that he would be there boss, and at least historically it is the DCI who gives the President his daily intelligence briefings, wouldn’t we want those intelligence briefings to be, I don’t know, intelligent?

It isn’t surprising that the experience argument is lost on President-Elect Obama since he only had two years experience as a Senator before deciding to run.  It shows with this appointment.  How many other missteps will have be made, and will our intelligence-gathering capability be degraded as a result?

Fienstein is right, the C.I.A. is best served by having an intelligence professional at the helm.  Pigs really do fly.

HT: Rick Moore

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Shane Vander Hart continues with his series on God’s attributes at Grace Evangelical Free Church in Indianola, this time looking at God’s wisdom.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to this podcast via iTunes or using another podcatcher.

Turned to C-SPAN while eating lunch to watch the RNC Chairman debate.  It is rather interesting that this is even televised since only the 168 people on the Republican National Committee get a vote.  Some things I learned:

• Watching C-SPAN is something akin to watching paint dry.
• Mike Duncan has likely been a member of the GOP since its inception.
• Ken Blackwell is a Facebook diva, he has almost three times the “friends” as I do.
• “Twitter” is now being used as a verb.  Three years ago I would have never thought I’d hear it being mentioned in a political debate.  By the way, Twitter is the noun, and I believe the proper verb form is “tweet.”  Yes, I am a geek.
• The current RNC Chair, Mike Duncan, thinks he’s the future of the party?  Huh?  Wouldn’t he be the present?
• The other RNC chair candidates think that Saul Anuzis is a Twitter diva.
• Everybody’s favorite political website is their own.
• Everybody has to invoke the name of Ronald Reagan.
• Ron Paul people are getting way too much attention.
• Ken Blackwell not only owns seven guns, he’s good at using them.
• Chip Saltsman, Ken Blackwell, Michael Steele, and Saul Anuzis buy into two-way communication.
• Increasing our Web 2.0/Internet capabilities means more than just having a Twitter account.
• Mike Duncan is touting technological advances that he has made, why just last year they started using the fax machine.  He did help put out a nice calendar as well.
• The Rebuild The Party plan is getting noticed.  Ken Blackwell mentioned it, and the only candidate who hasn’t endorsed it is Katon Dawson.

Seriously, I think all who watched can agree that Mike Duncan was the real loser.  Those most helped - Michael Steele, Ken Blackwell, and Saul Anuzis.  Chip Saltsman did well, but not sure he’s going to be able to overcome CD-gate.  Katon Dawson has too much controversy and really didn’t say anything new.  Mike Duncan - zzzzzzzzzz.

Update: CNN saw the light, or felt our collective wrath.  RedState reports that Governor Palin has been removed from the list.  Thanks to those of you who sent e-mails!

2nd update - Methinks Greta gave them some unwanted attention as well.

Checking out Newsbuters I was directed to an article over at CNN about politicians who made headlines for the wrong reasons.  The subtitle reads, “Politicians who fell from grace in 2008.”

Right off the bat you see Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois.  Sure somebody who under a Federal investigation accused of trying to sell off President-Elect Obama’s Senate seat among other acts of corruption is worthy of the list.  He is facing likely impeachment, and possibly even prison time if he is indicted and convicted.

John Edwards who confessed to having an affair with a former campaign staffer.  Ok, worthy of the list.  Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick who spent four months in jail after pleading guilty to two felony obstruction-of-justice charges.  Again worthy.

Larry Langford, who is Mayor of Birmingham, AL, arrested by the FBI on 12/1 on bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false income tax charges.  This seems like quite a list.  Former Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-FL) who lost his re-election bid after multiple affairs were disclosed, as well as charges of sexual harassment.

Are we seeing how this list is shaping up?  Criminals or those accused of committing a crime and sexual deviants.  Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer who resigned after admitting his taste for high-priced hookers and Former Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) who was recently indicted on federal corruption charges also make their cut.  I don’t disagree with any of those mentioned so far on this list.

Then, in the midst of these corrupt officials, criminals, and perverts another that CNN felt compelled to add to this list - Sarah Palin.  They write:

Sarah Palin’s “average hockey mom” persona was touted as a plus when GOP presidential nominee John McCain chose her to be his running mate in August.  But the Alaska governor lost some luster when news broke that the Republican National Committee spent $150,00 to outfit her and her family in designer duds for the campaign.  Palin said the clothing would be returned and then auctioned off or donated to charity.  Palin was accused of trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from the state police and then sacking the public safety commissioner when he refused to go along.  Lawmakers decided she violated ethics rules in the first place, but was within her rights to fire the director.  The state personnel board concluded she violated no ethics laws.

Are you kidding me?  What Kool-Aid are they drinking?  First off all of those allegations have been debunked.  There is a major question as to whether or not $150,000 was spent in the first place.  Even if that was the case - the RNC spent it, NOT Palin.

Her former brother-in-law, Mike Wooten, the fine upstanding citizen he is, tasered his son along with other issues.  The only shame is that he is still, to my knowledge, still on the Alaska State Police force.  With the firing of Walt Monegan, he was fired due to insubordination regarding budget policies he was resisting.

As far as Palin falling from grace?  I like what Newsbusters had to say:

Just this past December, for instance, Palin was asked to go to Georgia to rally voters to return Senator Saxby Chambliss to office in a runoff election. This request was fully a month after she lost her bid to become vice president on the McCain ticket, yet Chambliss has repeatedly said that he won the reelection in part because she rallied the voters to his side. If Palin had a “fall from grace” as CNN claims, how was this possible?

Palin is even supposedly an odds on favorite to be nominated president in 2012! How is that evidence of her being disgraced in 2008?

I don’t see her going away any time soon.

The only thing demonstrated by CNN’s addition of Palin to this is their liberal bias.  Contact them to let them know what you think of their list.

I was reading this morning, before leaving to worship and preach at Grace Evangelical Free Church in Indianola, Isaiah 43.  It was a great reminder that whatever challenges I face, difficulties that arise, obstacles that seem to be in my way… I am to fear not.  I don’t know what 2009 will bring.  It could be the best year of my life or the most challenging.  Fear not.  When I feel overwhelmed by circumstances.  Fear not.  Why?  Because the same God who loving speaks to His people Israel is the same God who today calls His people to Himself.  He is our only Savior, He is the One in whom we can trust.  So fear not.

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob,
   he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
  I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
  when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
   and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the LORD your God,
   the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
  I give Egypt as your ransom,
   Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my eyes,
   and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
   peoples in exchange for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you;
  I will bring your offspring from the east,
   and from the west I will gather you.
I will say to the north, Give up,
   and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
   and my daughters from the end of the earth,
everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made,” (Isaiah 43:1-7, ESV)